Remember the glory days of the newsman? Men like Edward R. Murrow, John Drainie, Walter Cronkite, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. These are men who dared to challenge the paradigm and even authority when it needed to be. Whether it was standing up to the fear mongering of Joe McCarthy, supporting the civil rights movement, or showing the shocking truth of Vietnam and Watergate, they stood their ground and did what ever was necessary to uncover the truth.
It would seem that there would never be another example of “journalist as hero.” At least within the confines of our own reality.
In 2006, Keji Inafune (creator of Mega Man) produced a little game for the Xbox 360, known as Dead Rising. Inafune wanted the game’s protagonist to have an everyman type of appeal. So he decided to take away the superhuman and overly handsome aspect of the typical video game hero. He wanted someone who the player could relate to. It would work quite well but Inafune did not count on the character becoming a ficitonal example of what those in the journalism field call, “journalist as hero.”
Photo journalist, Frank West is a man who has covered wars and has seen the very worst of what humanity has to offer. When the small town of Willamette, Colorado was sealed off by the Colorado National Guard, West jumped at the chance to get to the bottom of the situation. But for all of the terrifing things he has witnessed during his career, he was still unprepared for what he was getting himself into.
West finds himself at the center of a zombie infestation. He is forced to fight for his own survival, as he tries to uncover the truth behind the failed government experiment which caused the outbreak. As well as rescue the remaining survivors from not only the zombies but the Special Forces who are trying to cover up the infestation.
West managed to survive a hellacious 72 hours within the confines of the Willamette Mall, usuing just about any consumer product he could get his hands on as a potential weapon.
This is what makes the West’s character so appealing. Not only is he able to use a combination of both brain and brawn to overcome what is bascially Hell itself but he is also an average guy.
West isn’t this big, brawny superhero but rather a scruffy, regular person who is just trying to do his job and ultimately the right thing. Inafune helped create a great character which gamers can identify with.
With the hords of zombies eliminated, a group of innocent civilians rescued, and an evil government cover up exposed by the media, West can be considered a shining example of Journalist as Hero. Even if he isn’t “technically” real.
This just in.
Journalist finds himself in brawling clusterF$&K! More at 11.
But seriously, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom looks wicked awesome (if only I had a Wii) and the additon of Frank West makes it look even more awesome.
This eveyman will now have to prove he is worthy of the journalist as hero monicker all over again as he takes on superheros, robots, demons, samurais, and martial arts masters. From the looks of things, it will likely be an enjoyable experience.
